Furnace assembly and method for heating workpieces

ABSTRACT

A furnace assembly for heating at least one workpiece is provided and comprises a movable furnace having a heating chamber therein, a stationary receiving means positioned relative to said furnace for receiving said workpiece, a feeder means for feeding the workpiece into the heating chamber of the furnace, and a removal means for engaging the workpiece within the heating chamber and causing it to exit the furnace. A method for heating individual workpieces is also provided.

United States Patent [1 1 Lubold, Jr. et a1.

[4 1 Dec. 17, 1974 FURNACE ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR HEATING WORKPIECES [76] Inventors: Harvey C. Lubold, Jr., R.D. No. 1; Glenn H. Roberts, RD. No. 1, Box 118, both of Towanda, Pa. 18848 [22] Filed: Jan. 23, 1974 [21] App]. No: 435,664

[52] US. Cl 432/11, 432/123, 432/137, 432/153, 432/243 [51] Int. Cl. F2710 9/14 [58] Field of Search H432/11,121,123,137, 432/138, 153, 243

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,993,688 3/1935 Speckter et a1 432/138 X 2.944805 7/1960 Nesbitt et a1. 432/138 X 3,079,135 2/1963 Buckholdt 432/138 X 3,320,397 5/1967 Alexander et a1. 432/11 3,556,494

1/1971 Cines 432/11 Primary Examiner.lohn J. Camby Attorney, Agent, or FirmNorman J. OMalley; Lawrence R. Fraley; Donald R. Castle [57] ABSTRACT A furnace assembly for heating at least one workpiece is provided and comprises a movable furnace having a heating chamber therein, a stationary receiving means positioned relative to said furnace for receiving said workpiece, a feeder means for feeding the workpiece into the heating chamber of the furnace, and a re moval means for engaging the workpiece within the heating chamber and causing it to exit the furnace. A method for heating individual workpieces is also provided.

9 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures l FURNACE ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR HEATING WORKPIECES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to furnace assemblies and more particularly to a furnace assembly for heating metallic workpieces. Even more particularly this invention relates to such furnace assemblies wherein the workpieces to be heated are wire bars.

Furnaces which are capable of heating to substantially high temperatures such metallic articles as slabs, ingots, and wire bars are known in the art. Such examples include electric furnaces for the production of tungsten and molybdenum wire. In this particular example the workpieces are brazed to a preestablished temperature whereupon they are removed from the furnace and subject to several subsequent operations such as rolling and milling.

As stated, furnaces of the variety described above are known. It is also known that such furnaces are notoriously large and require large areas of floor space in which to be housed. Much of the excessive bulk of such assemblies can be found in the feeding portions of the furnace. Several of these varieties of furnaces incorporate a singular pusher bar or similar article which on many occasions occupies a longitudinal distance greater than that portion of the furnace housing the heating chambers. Needless to say, the requirement of large areas in order to house such equipment results in increased construction costs as well as the waste of floor space which could serve additional purposes. Still another shortcoming associated with the above described furnace assemblies can be found in that portion of the assembly which is utilized to remove the heated workpiece from the furnace heating chamber. Many prior arrangements have required a large portion of this removal equipment to be incorporated within the fur nace chamber itself. With temperatures on many occasions approaching 1,800C, the stress brought on this equipment by such elevated temperatures often has resulted in malfunctions of the equipment.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a new and unique furnace assembly for heating individual workpieces therein.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and unique method for heating such workpieces.

An even further object of this invention is to provide the assembly and method described above which obviate the aforementioned disadvantages of prior art as semblies and methods.

In accordance with one aspect of this invention, there is provided a furnace assembly comprising a movable furnace having a heating chamber therein, an inlet through which at least one workpiece may enter this heating chamber, and an outlet through which the workpiece may exit the heating chamber. The furnace assembly further comprises a stationary receiving means positioned relative to the inlet for receiving a workpiece thereon, a feeder means positioned relative to the receiving means for engaging the workpiece and thereupon feeding it to the heating chamber, and a removal means for engaging the workpiece within the heating chamber and thereupon removing it from the furnace.

In accordance with another aspect of this invention there is provided a method for heating at least one workpiece in a furnace assembly which includes a movable furnace having a heating chamber therein, a-

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the present invention- FIGS. 2A-2J illustrate the various steps utilized in loading and unloading the furnace assembly of th present invention. I

,FIGS. 3A- 3D depict the cycle of operation of a preferred embodiment for the supply means of the present invention. I

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects, advantages and capabilities thereof, reference is made to the following disclosure and appended claims in connection with the above-described drawings.

With'particular reference to FIG. 1,'there' is illustrated a furnace assembly 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Assembly 10 is adapted for operating within a temperature range of from about 1,300C to about 1,800C and is shown as comprising a movable furnace 11, a stationary receiving means 13, a feeder means 15, and a removal means 17. Movable furnace 11 includes a heating chamber 19 therein. An inlet 21 and an outlet 23 (hidden) are also provided in furnace 11 as means whereby the workpiece may enter and exit the furnace. Stationary receiving means 13 is positioned relative to inlet 21 of furnace 11 and in the preferred embodiment comprises an elongated trough member 25.

Positioned relative to receiving means 13, feeder means 15 comprises in the preferred embodiment a first elongated bar member 27 adapted for engaging at one end thereof one of the workpieces w positioned within the receiving means 13. Bar member 27 engages the workpiece within receiving means 13 and thereafter feeds it into heating chamber 19 of the furnace. A stationary drive means 29 which includes a motor 31 and a chain and sprocket assembly 33 is utilized to drive feeder means 15. Joined to the chain member of the chain and sprocket assembly 33 is a connecting member 35 which is fastened to elongated bar member I 27 by any well known conventional method such as welding. Once the workpiece has been successfully positioned within chamber 19 and it is desired, to return feeder means 15 to its original position (as shown) for receiving another workpiece, motor 31 is simply re-' versed and chain and sprocket assembly 33 moved in the opposing direction.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1, furnace 11 is adapted for moving in a rectilinear direction substantially perpendicular to that of the direction of feed of the workas well as that of feeder means and removal means 17 in conjunction with the steps required to load and unload the furnace will be more fully illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2J. To move furnace 11, a drive means 37 is utilized and shown to comprise a motor 39 which in turn rotates a movable geared shaft 41. Shaft 41 in turn engages and drives a pair of space geared members 43 and 43' located on furnace 11. It is to be understood that the before-mentioned drive means and method for moving furnace 11 are only representative of several well known methods which could successfully accomplish the described functions and are therefore not meant to be restrictive in any manner to the present invention.

In the preferred embodiment, removal means 17 comprises a second elongated bar 45 which is adapted for engaging an end of a workpiece positioned within heating chamber 19 of the furnace. Bar member 45 is driven by a drive means 29 and secured to connecting member 35 in much the same manner as that of bar member 27 of feeder means 15. As illustrated, first bar member 27 and second bar member 45 are oriented in a juxtapositioned relationship. It is also preferred that bar members 27 and 45 be positioned in a substantially parallel relationship although the broad concept of the present invention need not be limited in that nonparallel bars may also be successfully utilized. Although a separate drive means and assembly substantially similar to that described could be utilized to drive removal means 17, it is preferred to utilize the same drive assembly as that used for feeder means 15. As can be appreciated, utilizing the same drive means for both components results in a substantial savings in engineering costs for producing furnace assembly 10, as well as facilitating ease of operation of these described compo-.

nents.

Furnace 11 further includes a hearth member 47 positioned within heating chamber 19. In the preferred embodiment, hearth member 47 is provided with a plurality of serrations 49, each of which are adapted for receiving one of the workpieces fed into chamber 19.

Although not an essential component of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, furnace assembly 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as further including a supply means 51. Supply means 51 is adapted for supplying individual workpieces to receiving means 13 and is shown to comprise the drive means 53 and a stepping ladder assembly 55. Drive means 53 includes a motor 57 which in turn powers a chain drive assembly 59 which further rotates a pair of shafts 61 and 61 Positioned at each end of the described shafts is a rotating cam 63 to which is movably connected an upright arm 65. Interconnecting the upright arms 65 on each side of shafts 61 and 61' area pair of movable supply members 67 and 67 respectively. Upon the rotation of shafts 61 and 61 movable members 67 and 67 move to engage each of the workpieces w which are stationarily positioned on stationary arms 69 and 69. respectively. A moredetailed explanation of this described motion is given with the description of FIGS. ISA-3D. Thus, a means has been described for supplying the individual workpieces w to the receiving means 13 of the present invention. It is to be understood that the supply means as depicted represented a preferred embodiment of the supply means to be utilized with the present invention. It is to be further understood that several other supply means, to even include an operator manually loading workpieces into receiving means 13, could be successfully utilized with the present invention.

The necessary electronic circuitry and timing mechanisms which are utilized in the present invention to I properly actuate the described drive assemblies which in turn power the described components are well known in the art and further description is not considered necessary. For clarification purposes, it is also not considered necessary to describe the necessary bearing assemblies and further structural components which would serve to house rotating shafts 61 and 61 of supply means 51. v

With regard to FIGS. 2A-2J, there are shown the various steps for loading and unloading furnace assembly 10. With particular reference to FIG. 2A, furnace 11 is illustrated in phantom and shown to include'therein hearth member 47. As previously described, hearth member 47 includes a plurality of individual serrations 49 therein. Feeder means 15 and removal means 17 are also shown. With the feeder means and the removal means in the withdrawn position as illustrated, one of serration adapted for receiving workpiece w. In this manner, bar 45 also enters furnace assembly 11 at the same time as does feeder means 15. As shown in FIG. 2B, elongated bar 27 of feeder means 15 partially enters the corresponding serration in hearth member 47 adapted for receiving the workpiece. Thus, a means is provided for assuring that workpiece w is fed completely into the furnaces heating chamber.

In FIG. 2C, the feeder means and removal means are returned to their original position as illustrated in FIG. 2A. Furnace 11 is then advanced a predetermined distance in the direction indicated, while at the same time a second workpiece w is supplied. These respective movements are depicted in.FIG. 2D.

The feeder means and removal means assembly is then again actuated in much the same manner as that described in FIG. 2B and a second workpiece is fed into hearth 47 in a position substantially adjacent that of the first workpiece. In like manner, elongated bar 45 also enters furnace 10 and moves through the serration substantially adjacent that which now houses the newly fed workpiece. This process continues until hearth member 47 is substantially filled. Furnace 11 is then returned in the direction indicated in FIG. 2F so that the initially fed workpiece is'aligned with bar 45 of removal-means 17. In FIG. 2G, the feeder means and removal means are again actuated with the elongated bar 45,of removal means 17 engaging this workpiece within hearth 47. The described workpiece is thus caused to exit furnace 11. The feeder and removal means are then returned to the withdrawn position, furnace 11 is againand the removal bar '45 results in a substantial savings of floor space over previously known methods which incorporated a singular elongated bar member to accomplish both purposes. The described positioning arrangement further facilitates operation of the described furnace assembly in that once the hearth member located within the heating chamber of the furnace had been substantially filled, both feeding and removing operations can be achieved concurrently. Unlike many prior known heating assemblies which required much of the removal equipment for removing the heated workpieces to be positioned within the heating chamber of the furnace assembly, the described invention requires only the periodic insertion of an elongated bar member within the described chamber. Thus, the possibility of mechanical breakdown of the removal equipment has been substantially eliminated.

In FIGS. 3A3D, the various movements of the previously described components of supply means 51 are depicted. Workpiece w is shown positioned within notched portions 71 of movable supply member 67. For clarification reasons, movable member 67 positioned immediately behind member 67 is not illustrated. Workpiece w is also positioned within notched portions 73 of the stationary arms 69 and 69 due to the alignment of member 67 and arm 69' in this position. Again for clarification purposes, arm 69 is not shown as it is positioned substantially behind and in alignment with arm 69. Notched portions 73 of stationary arm 69 are substantially similar to notched portions 71 of movable arm 67' and are positioned in alignment therewith during the cycle of rotation of cam 63 as depicted in FIG. 3A. Further rotation of cam 63 causes movable supply member 67 to remove workpiece w from notched portion 73 of stationary arm 69. This motion, illustrated in FIG. 38, illustrates one of the initial steps in upwardly moving one of the described workpieces which are to be eventually supplied into the receiving means 13 of the present invention. As shown, workpiece w remains positioned within notched portion 71 of movable supply member 67 and upon further rotation of cam 63 is deposited in the notched portion 73' located substantially adjacent that of notched portion 73 which originally served to house the workpiece. Each complete rotation of cam 63 therefore results in the substantially upward displacement of one of the workpieces w. More specifically, each rotation of cam 63 results in workpiece w being moved up one notch in stationary arm 69'. The described cycleof operation occurs until the workpiece reaches the top of supply means 51 whereupon it is fed into trough 25 of receiving means 13. The workpiece is then engaged at one end by the elongated rod 27 of the feeder means 15 and fed into furnace 11 in the manner already described.

Thus, there has been illustrated and described an apparatus and a method for heating individual workpieces within the heating chamber of a movable furnace. There has also been shown and described a new and unique feeder and removal means which can be successfully utilized with this type of furnace.

While there have been shown and described what are at present considered the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A furnace assembly comprising:

a movable furnace adapted for sequentially moving in a substantially rectilinear direction, said furnace including a heating chamber therein, a serrated hearth member positioned substantially within said heating chamber, an inlet through which at least one workpiece may enter said heating chamber, and an outlet through which said workpiece may exit said heating chamber; and an outlet through which said workpiece may exit said heating chamher;

a stationary elongated receiving means positioned relative to said inlet of said furnace for receiving said workpiece;

a first driven elongated bar member positioned relative to said elongated receiving means for engaging at one end thereof said workpiece within said elongated receiving means and feeding said workpiece through said inlet into said heating chamber of said furnace whereby said workpiece will be positioned within one of said serrations in said hearth member; and

a second driven elongated bar member oriented in a juxtaposed relationship to said first elongated bar member, said second elongated bar member substantially longer than said first bar member and adapted for engaging at one end thereof said workpiece within said hearth member of said heating chamber and causing said workpiece to exit said furnace through said outlet.

2. The furnace assembly according to claim 1 further including a supply means for supplying said workpiece to said receiving means.

3. The furnace assembly according to claim 1 wherein said stationary receiving means comprises an elongated trough member. 4. The furnace assembly according to claim 2 wherein said supply means comprises at least one movable supplymember for receiving said workpiece thereon and thereafter transporting said workpiece to said receiving means.

5. The furnace assembly according to claim 1 wherein the means for driving said first elongated bar member and the means for driving said second elongated bar member are thesame.

6. A method for heating at least one workpiece in a furnace assembly including a movablefurnace adapted for moving in a substantially rectilinear direction, said furnace having a heating chamber therein and a serrated hearth member positioned substantiallywithin said heating chamber, a stationary elongated receiving means, a first driven elongated bar member, and a second driven elongated bar member, said method comprising:

engaging saidworkpiece within said stationary elongated receiving means with said first elongated bar member and thereafter feeding said workpiece into one of said serrations in said hearth member within said heating chamber of said furnace;

heating said workpiece to a preestablished tempera- I ture; 7

moving said furnace a predetermined distance in said substantially rectilinear direction; and

engaging said workpiece within said hearth member withsaid second elongated bar member and there-' after removing said workpiece from said furnace.

I 3,854,863 7 7 l s 7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said pre- 9. The furnace assembly according to claim 1 established temperature is within range of fmm wherein said juxtapositioned first and second elongated about l,300 to about l800C.

8' The method according to claim 6 further including bar members are further positioned m a substantially the step of supplying said workpiece to said stationary Parallel vmlafionshipelongated receiving means. v

22 3 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,854,863 Dated December 17 1974 Inventor) Harvey C. Lubold, Jr. & Glenn H; Roberts It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Front Page, please insert" [73] Assignee: GTE Sylvania Incorporated Stamford, Connecticut Col. 3, line 67 Please delete "represented" and insert represents Signed and sealed this 1st day of April 1975.

Attest:

C I'CARSHA L L ANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Arresting Officer and Trademarks 

1. A furnace assembly comprising: a movable furnace adapted for sequentially moving in a substantially rectilinear direction, said furnace including a heating chamber therein, a serrated hearth member positioned substantially within said heating chamber, an inlet through which at least one workpiece may enter said heating chamber, and an outlet through which said workpiece may exit said heating chamber; and an outlet through which said workpiece may exit said heating chamber; a stationary elongated receiving means positioned relative to said inlet of said furnace for receiving said workpiece; a first driven elongated bar member positioned relative to said elongated receiving means for engaging at one end thereof said workpiece within said elongated receiving means and feeding said workpiece through said inlet into said heating chamber of said furnace whereby said workpiece will be positioned within one of said serrations in said hearth member; and a second driven elongated bar member oriented in a juxtaposed relationship to said first elongated bar member, said second elongated bar member substantially longer than said first bar member and adapted for engaging at one end thereof said workpiece within said hearth member of said heating chamber and causing said workpiece to exit said furnace through said outlet.
 2. The furnace assembly according to claim 1 further including a supply means for supplying said workpiece to said receiving means.
 3. The furnace assembly according to claim 1 wherein said stationary receiving means comprises an elongated trough member.
 4. The furnace assembly according to claim 2 wherein said supply means comprises at least one movable supply member for receiving said workpiece thereon and thereafter transporting said workpiece to said receiving means.
 5. The furnace assembly according to claim 1 wherein the means for driving said first elongated bar member and the means for driving saId second elongated bar member are the same.
 6. A method for heating at least one workpiece in a furnace assembly including a movable furnace adapted for moving in a substantially rectilinear direction, said furnace having a heating chamber therein and a serrated hearth member positioned substantially within said heating chamber, a stationary elongated receiving means, a first driven elongated bar member, and a second driven elongated bar member, said method comprising: engaging said workpiece within said stationary elongated receiving means with said first elongated bar member and thereafter feeding said workpiece into one of said serrations in said hearth member within said heating chamber of said furnace; heating said workpiece to a preestablished temperature; moving said furnace a predetermined distance in said substantially rectilinear direction; and engaging said workpiece within said hearth member with said second elongated bar member and thereafter removing said workpiece from said furnace.
 7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said preestablished temperature is within the range of from about 1,300* to about 1800*C.
 8. The method according to claim 6 further including the step of supplying said workpiece to said stationary elongated receiving means.
 9. The furnace assembly according to claim 1 wherein said juxtapositioned first and second elongated bar members are further positioned in a substantially parallel relationship. 